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October Daye series
October Daye series is written by Seanan McGuire. Genres Urban Fantasy Series Premise All the fairy tales are true; we just got the details wrong. Faerie has existed in parallel to our world since the dawn of the human race, frequently hidden, always present. ~ The Toby Daye FAQ Series Description Faerie has always been with us. The fairy tales, ballads, and folklore of the mortal world are only shadows of the true, sometimes terrible reality of the fae. They survive in secrecy, keeping their Courts in the places where the light doesn't fall, existing in parallel to the world we know. They aren't human. They don't want to be. But sometimes they take human lovers, and sometimes, those unions are fertile ones. Changelings aren't stolen children; they're mortal halfbreeds born where the fae and human worlds collide, never able to fully belong to either, outsiders from birth. October Daye knows how cruel Faerie can be to its changeling children. Born in San Francisco and carried to the Summerlands by her pureblood mother when she was just a child, she was raised in a world that never seemed capable of understanding her. She ran away the moment the opportunity presented itself, only to find that the human world wasn't any better. Things have been going downhill ever since. The October Daye books follow the adventures of October "Toby" Daye as she tries to find her footing in a world that seems a little more interested in killing her than she'd like. ~ From: Seanan McGuire: October Daye Books Books in Series October Daye series: # Rosemary and Rue (2009) # A Local Habitation (2010) # An Artificial Night (2010) # Late Eclipses (2011) # One Salt Sea (2011) # Ashes of Honor (2012) # Chimes at Midnight (2013) # The Winter Long (Sept 2, 2014) # A Red Rose Chain (Expected pub: Sept 2015) # Once Broken Faith (2016) ~ Planned final Shorts, Anthologies and Guides *0.1. "Rat-Catcher" in A Fantasy Medley 2 (2012) (Rand, set in late 1600s) ~ 2013 Hugo nom *0.2. "Forbid the Sea" (Sept 2013) ~ eShort (Free) (Tybalt), Best read after "Rat-Catcher," *4.5. "Through this House " in Home Improvement: Undead Edition (2011) (Toby, May, Danny, Quentin) — between Late Eclipses and One Salt Sea *5.1. "In Sea-Salt Tears" (2012) ~eShort, 24 pages (Luidaeg) 2013 Hugo nom — before Rosemary and Rue (Free) Companion Series or Spinoffs Other seris by Author on Site * InCryptid series * Ghost Stories series World Building Fang-tastic Fiction: Seanan McGuire: OCTOBER DAYE Series Setting San Francisco, Faerie Places: County of Tamed Lightning, Silicon Valley CA; Muir Woods; Undersea Duchy of Saltmist; Supernatural Elements Different types of Fae creatures: pixies, elves, gnomes, shape-shifting cats, sea witches, sea creature, plenty of Faerie royalty, teleporting powers, Sea Faeries, Air Faeries, Land Faeries . . . * Goblin fruit: naturally-occurring narcotic that has "sweet purple berries that smell like everything good in the world and give purebloods beautiful dreams."; Purebloods can eat the berries or jam made from the berries and enjoy the effects without the danger of addiction, but if a changeling eats just one berry, he or she becomes immediately and irreparably addicted"wasting away on a diet of nothing but sweet fruit and fantasies."; : Faerie society is ancient and complex, with many feuds, rivalries, and shifting alliances, all of which make Toby's life a constant challenge World ✥ The world of Faerie never disappeared: it merely went into hiding, continuing to exist parallel to our own. Secrecy is the key to Faerie's survival—but no secret can be kept forever, and when the fae and mortal worlds collide, changelings are born. Half-human, half-fae, outsiders from birth, these second-class children of Faerie spend their lives fighting for the respect of their immortal relations. In the case of October "Toby" Gaye, rejecting it completely. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the fae world, retreating into a "normal" life. Unfortunately for her, Faerie has other ideas. ~ Shelfari ✥ October “Toby” Daye is a changeling—daughter of a fae mother and a human father. In this world, all of the old familiar fairy tales are basically true, but we got the details wrong. The land of Faerie has existed parallel to the mortal world since the dawn of time. Although it is frequently hidden, it is always present. Faerie is inhabited by many different types of creatures, including pixies, elves, gnomes, shape-shifting cats, sea witches, and plenty of Faerie royalty. Faerie society is ancient and complex, with many feuds, rivalries, and shifting alliances, all of which make Toby's life a constant challenge. Here, one character explains to Toby how the fae world is divided: "Humans inhabit just one level of the world: the land. They can travel through the air and sea, but being unable to fly or breathe water puts a damper on long-term habitation. The fae don't share their limitations. There are Kingdoms under the ocean and high in the clouds, thriving outside the range of mortal eyes...and most fae eyes, if we're being honest. Land fae rarely go to the trouble of visiting the Undersea, and the majority of the winged races are too weak to reach the Cloud Kingdoms. We may be everywhere, but that doesn't keep us from being divided by environment." (One Salt Sea, p. 22) ~ Fang-tastic Fiction More: *Toby's World: The Toby Daye FAQ ~ Seanan McGuire *Fairy Tale Survival FAQ ~ Seanan McGuire Protagonist October Christine Daye: October Daye—"Toby" to her friends, and to anyone who doesn't want to get hit—is very aware of the reality of Faerie and the nature of its relationship to the human world. She's a changeling: half-human, half-fae, and trying desperately to find the balance between the two. Preferably without getting herself killed in the process. ~ Toby FAQ ✥ Half Daoine Sidhe who has been knighted in the fae court. She had a fiancé and a daughter, but lost contact with them after being turned into a fish for fourteen years. Daughter of Amandine. Magic tastes like copper and cut grass. Born in 1952. Currently works at Safeway. ~ Rosemary and Rue ✥ In the early books, Toby has two love interests: Connor, the son and heir of the Duchy of Shadowed Hills, and Tybalt, the King of Dreaming Cats. Throughout most of the series, Connor is enmeshed in a marriage of convenience with an emotionally damaged woman who grows more and more psychotic and violent. Toby's relationship with Tybalt simmers with enigmatic glances and subtle sexual innuendo. This is how Toby views life: "In the end, there's never a sanctuary. You run until there's nowhere left to run to, and then you fight, and then you die, and then it's over. That's how the world works, and if there's a way to change that, I hope someone's eventually planning to let me know." (Late Eclipses, p. 203) Toby is forced to live her life within the restraints of her dark supernatural genetics, and is put in hopeless situations time and time again. ~ Fang-tastic Fiction Characters *October Daye Series ~ Shelfari, Char list *Fang-tastic Fiction Sidekicks * Quentin: Pureblood squire—Sidekick to Toby—accompanies Toby on her investigation * May Daye: Toby's Fetch (doppleganger) —Sidekick to Toby Fang-tastic Fiction: Seanan McGuire: OCTOBER DAYE Series Author Seanan McGuire Artist Artist: Chris McGrath * Website: Chris McGrath Publishing Information * Publisher: DAW Books, Inc * Author Page: Seanan McGuire - Penguin Books USA * Bk-1: Paperback, 346 pages, Pub: Sept 1st 2009—ISBN: 0756405718 * Bk-2: Paperback, 377 pages, Pub: Mar 2nd 2010—ISBN: 0756405963 * Bk-3: Paperback, 354 pages, Pub: Sept 7th 2010—ISBN: 0756406269 * Bk-4: Paperback, 372 pages, Pub: Mar 1st 2011—ISBN: 0756406668 * Bk-5: Paperback, 354 pages, Pub: Sept 6th 2011—ISBN: 0756406838 * Bk-6: Paperback, 353 pages, Pub: Sept 4th 2012—ISBN: 0756407494 * Bk-7: Paperback, 346 pages, Pub: Sept 3rd 2013—ISBN: 0756408148 * Bk-8: Paperback, 368 pages, Pub: Sept 2nd 2014—ISBN:0756408083 * Bk-9: Paperback, , Pub: —ISBN: * Bk-10: Paperback, , Pub: —ISBN: Book Cover Blurbs ✤ BOOK ONE BLURB—Rosemary and Rue (2009): October "Toby" Daye, a changeling who is half human and half fae, has been an outsider from birth. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the Faerie world, retreating to a "normal" life. Unfortunately for her, the Faerie world has other ideas. The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening's dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby must resume her former position as knight errant and renew old alliances. As she steps back into fae society, dealing with a cast of characters not entirely good or evil, she realizes that more than her own life will be forfeited if she cannot find Evening's killer. ~ GR ✤ BOOK TWO BLURB—A Local Habitation (2010): "Well researched, sharply told, highly atmospheric and as brutal as any pulp detective tale..."— Publishers Weekly — October "Toby" Daye is a changeling, the daughter of Amandine of the fae and a mortal man. Like her mother, she is gifted in blood magic, able to read what has happened to a person through a mere taste of blood. Toby is the only changeling who has earned knighthood, and she re-earns that position every day, undertaking assignments for her liege, Sylvester, the Duke of the Shadowed Hills. Now Sylvester has asked her to go to the County of Tamed Lightning—otherwise known as Fremont, CA—to make sure that all is well with his niece, Countess January O'Leary, whom he has not been able to contact. It seems like a simple enough assignment—but when dealing with the realm of Faerie nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Toby soon discovers that someone has begun murdering people close to January, whose domain is a buffer between Sylvester's realm and a scheming rival duchy. If Toby can't find the killer soon, she may well become the next victim. ~ Goodreads | A Local Habitation (October Daye #2) by Seanan McGuire ✤ BOOK THREE BLURB—An Artificial Night (2010): Experience the thrill of the hunt in the third October Daye urban fantasy novel. October "Toby" Daye is a changeling-half human and half fae-and the only one who has earned knighthood. Now she must take on a nightmarish new challenge. Someone is stealing the children of the fae as well as mortal children, and all signs point to Blind Michael. Toby has no choice but to track the villain down-even when there are only three magical roads by which to reach Blind Michael's realm, home of the Wild Hunt-and no road may be taken more than once. If Toby cannot escape with the children, she will fall prey to the Wild Hunt and Blind Michael's inescapable power. ~ Goodreads | (#3) ✤ BOOK FOUR BLURB—Late Eclipses (2011): October "Toby" Daye, changeling knight in the service of Duke Sylvester Torquill, finds the delicate balance of her life shattered when she learns that an old friend is in dire trouble. Lily, Lady of the Tea Gardens, has been struck down by a mysterious, seemingly impossible illness, leaving her fiefdom undefended. Struggling to find a way to save Lily and her subjects, Toby must confront her own past as an enemy she thought was gone forever raises her head once more: Oleander de Merelands, one of the two people responsible for her fourteen-year exile. Time is growing short and the stakes are getting higher, for the Queen of the Mists has her own agenda. With everything on the line, Toby will have to take the ultimate risk to save herself and the people she loves most—because if she can't find the missing pieces of the puzzle in time, Toby will be forced to make the one choice she never thought she'd have to face again. ~ Goodreads | Late Eclipses (#4) ✤ BOOK FIVE BLURB—One Salt Sea (2011): "...a Perfect 10." —Romance Reviews Today October "Toby" Daye is finally doing all right—and that inevitably means it's time for things to take a turn for the worse. Someone has kidnapped the sons of the Duchess Dianda Lorden, regent of the Undersea Duchy of Saltmist. To prevent a war between land and sea, Toby must not only find the missing boys, but also prove that the Queen of the Mists was not behind their abduction. She'll need all her tricks and the help of her allies if she wants to make it through this in one piece. Toby's search will take her from the streets of San Francisco to the lands beneath the waves. But someone is determined to stop her—and whoever it is isn't playing by Oberon's Laws. As the battle grows more and more personal, one thing is chillingly clear. When Faerie goes to war, not everyone will walk away. One Salt Sea is the fifth installment of the highly praised Toby Daye series. ~ Goodreads | One Salt Sea (#5) ✤ BOOK SIX BLURB—Ashes of Honor (2012): It’s been almost a year since October “Toby” Daye averted a war, gave up a county, and suffered personal losses that have left her wishing for a good day’s sleep. She’s tried to focus on her responsibilities—training Quentin, upholding her position as Sylvester’s knight, and paying the bills—but she can’t help feeling like her world is crumbling around her, and her increasingly reckless behavior is beginning to worry even her staunchest supporters. To make matters worse, Toby’s just been asked to find another missing child…only this time it’s the changeling daughter of her fellow knight, Etienne, who didn’t even know he was a father until the girl went missing. Her name is Chelsea. She’s a teleporter, like her father. She’s also the kind of changeling the old stories warn about, the ones with all the strength and none of the control. She’s opening doors that were never meant to be opened, releasing dangers that were sealed away centuries before—and there’s a good chance she could destroy Faerie if she isn’t stopped. Now Toby must find Chelsea before time runs out, racing against an unknown deadline and through unknown worlds as she and her allies try to avert disaster. But danger is also stirring in the Court of Cats, and Tybalt may need Toby’s help with the biggest challenge he’s ever faced. Toby thought the last year was bad. She has no idea. ~ Goodreads | Ashes of Honor (#6) ✤ BOOK SEVEN BLURB—Chimes at Midnight (2013): Things are starting to look up for October "Toby" Daye. She's training her squire, doing her job, and has finally allowed herself to grow closer to the local King of Cats. It seems like her life may finally be settling down...at least until dead changelings start appearing in the alleys of San Francisco, killed by an overdose of goblin fruit. Toby's efforts to take the problem to the Queen of the Mists are met with harsh reprisals, leaving her under sentence of exile from her home and everyone she loves. Now Toby must find a way to reverse the Queens decree, get the goblin fruit off the streets--and, oh, yes, save her own life, since more than a few of her problems have once again followed her home. And then there's the question of the Queen herself, who seems increasingly unlikely to have a valid claim to the throne. To find the answers, October and her friends will have to travel from the legendary Library of Stars into the hidden depths of the Kingdom of the Mists--and they'll have to do it fast, because time is running out. In faerie, some fates are worse than death. October Daye is about to find out what they are. ~ Goodreads | Chimes at Midnight (#7) ✤ BOOK EIGHT BLURB—The Winter Long (Sept 2, 2014): Toby thought she understood her own past; she thought she knew the score. She was wrong. It's time to learn the truth. ~ Goodreads ✤ BOOK NINE BLURB—A Red Rose Chain (Expected pub: Sept 2015): ✤ BOOK TEN BLURB—Once Broken Faith (2016): First Sentence * Bk-1: The phone was ringing. Again. I turned my attention from the rearview mirror and glared at the cellular phone that lay jangling in my passenger seat next to a bag of Fritos and one of Gilly's coloring books. * Bk-2: The last train out of San Francisco leaves at midnight; miss it and you're stuck until morning. * Bk-3: ONE THING I’VE LEARNED IN MY TIME working as a private investigator-slash-knight errant for the fae community of the San Francisco Bay Area: if something looks like it’s going to be simple, it probably won’t be. * Bk-4: The downtown San Francisco Safeway was practically deserted. * Bk-5: The sword swung fast and hard toward my face, leaving me with barely enough time to raise my own sword into position to parry. * Bk-6: The night sky over San Francisco was a patchwork mixture of starry black and cloudy gray, all of it washed out by the ambient light drifting up from the city below. * Bk-7: Like many port towns, San Franciscois a city built on top of its own bones, one where broad modern streets can exist side by side with narrow alleys and abandoned thoroughfares. * Bk-8: * Bk-9: * Bk-10: * Bk-11: ~ Shelfari Quotes *Goodreads | Seanan McGuire Quotes (Author of Rosemary and Rue) *October Daye Series ~ Shelfari — List of quotes for each book Read Alikes — If you like this, you may like these: * Walker Papers series * Fever series * Worldwalker Duology * Cal Leandros series * Iron Druid Chronicles * InCryptid series * Awards Trivia Notes The titles of the books in this series all derived from Shakespearean plays: * Rosemary and Rue: from A Winter's Tale * A Local Habitation: from A Midsummer Night's Dream * An Artificial Night: from Romeo and Juliet * Late Eclipses: from King Lear * One Salt Sea: from Henry V * Ashes of Honor: from Henry VIII * Chimes at Midnight: from Henry IV, Part II * The Winter Long: from The Winter of Our Discontent * The Red Rose Chain: from the poem, "Venus and Adonis" * Once Broken Faith: from Henry VI, Part III Here's what McGuire says about the titles on her web site: "While I'm careful to select plays for their content as much as for having cool-sounding quotes, the parallels may not always be the obvious ones. I'm trying not to repeat plays if I have any other choice, and have a file of potential names, just in case it becomes an issue." Click HERE to read FAQs about the series, including FAQs about Toby's world. Trivia ~ ranked #9 on Goodreads | Best Urban Fantasy Series (181 series) See Also * InCryptid series * Ghost Stories series * List of Sidekicks * Seanan McGuire * Home Improvement: Undead Edition (2011) — October Daye series #4.5 * Games Creatures Play — InCryptid series #2.3 * Carniepunk (2013) — no series * 2014 UF Release Schedule * List of Vampires of Urban Fantasy * List of UF Anthologies — UF Anthologies * List of Cover Artists * Urban Fantasy Links * Category links at bottom of page External References Books: *Seanan McGuire: The October Daye Books *Seanan McGuire: Toby Short Stories *October Daye series by Seanan McGuire ~ GR *October Daye - Series Bibliography ~ ISFdb *Seanan McGuire - fantastic fiction *Seanan McGuire - Fanlore *October Daye Series ~ Shelfari *Seanan McGuire - October Daye Series Reading Order - Maryse's Book Blog *Off the Shelf: Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant | Off the Shelf & Bookstacks Freebies & Excerpts: *Seanan McGuire: Toby Short Stories *‎www.seananmcguire.com/galleries/fieldguide/In%20Sea-Salt%20Tears.pdf Summaries: *Fang-tastic Fiction: Seanan McGuire: OCTOBER DAYE Series *Dark Urban Fantasy: October Daye - Seanan McGuire - overviews, escerpts : Tobyverse: Characters, etc: *FangSeanan McGuire: The Toby Daye FAQ *Seanan McGuire: Fairy Tale Survival FAQ *Fang-tastic Fiction: Seanan McGuire: OCTOBER DAYE Series *Carpewiki - October Daye Series *October Daye Wiki *October Daye Series ~ Shelfari *Literature/October Daye - Television Tropes & Idioms *Galavanting Girl Books: Breakdown of a Heroine - October Daye Interview: *Seanan McGuire: General FAQ *Interview with Seanan McGuire | Fantasy Faction Articles: *Top 10 Urban Fantasy Sidekicks | Tor.com *Travels Through Iest: Rosemary and Rue *Fairies With Guns Stalk A Dark San Francisco Author, Misc: *Seanan McGuire *Seanan McGuire - Wikipedia *Goodreads | Seanan McGuire (Author of Rosemary and Rue) Fan Sites: *(3) October Daye series - FB *(3) Seanan McGuire - FB *october daye on Tumblr Gallery of Book Covers 1. Rosemary and Rue (2009).jpg|1. Rosemary and Rue (2009) by Seanan McGuire—Art: Chris McGrath|link=http://seananmcguire.com/rosemary.php 2. A Local Habitation (2010).jpg|2. A Local Habitation (2010) by Seanan McGuire—Art: Chris McGrath|link=http://seananmcguire.com/alh.php 3. An Artificial Night (2010).jpg|3. An Artificial Night (2010) by Seanan McGuire—Art: Chris McGrath|link=http://seananmcguire.com/aan.php 4. Late Eclipses (2011).jpg|4. Late Eclipses (2011) by Seanan McGuire—Art: Chris McGrath|link=http://seananmcguire.com/le.php 4.5. "Through this House " in Home Improvement- Undead Edition (2011).jpg|4.5. "Through this Hous " in Home Improvement- Undead Edition (2011) edited by Charlaine Harris|link=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9450406-home-improvement 5. One Salt Sea (2011).jpg|5. One Salt Sea (2011) by Seanan McGuire—Art: Chris McGrath|link=http://www.seananmcguire.com/oss.php 6. Ashes of Honor (2012).jpg|6. Ashes of Honor (2012) by Seanan McGuire—Art: Chris McGrath|link=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10184345-ashes-of-honor 7. Chimes at Midnight (2013).jpg|7. Chimes at Midnight (2013) by Seanan McGuire—Art: Chris McGrath|link=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10184403-chimes-at-midnight The Winter Long (October Daye #8) by Seanan McGuire.jpg|8. The Winter Long (October Daye #8) by Seanan McGuire—Art: Chris McGrath|link=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15748529-the-winter-long Category:Series Category:Female Lead Category:Werewolves and Shifters Category:Elves Category:Faeries Category:Magic Users Category:Witches Category:Selkies Category:Pixies, Brownies, Sprites, Gnomes, Nixies Category:Sea Faeries and Creatures Category:Goblins Category:Faeries as Main Supe Category:Great Sidekicks